Cannot start Win7 in AHCI mode when multiple drives are connected

Hi, I'm working with a new PC build that uses a 60 GB SSD for its boot drive, and which is also reusing some "old" SATA HDDs for storage.

At the time I installed Windows 7 Ult 64, I had only a new SSD plugged in, and the bios was set to AHCI mode. The installation went fine and I was able to boot into Windows afterwards without issue.

Then, I connected a WD Caviar Black SATA HDD to use as storage, with the SSD being the boot drive. With both of them connected, Windows will not get past the Starting Windows screen.

I made this video of the program before I understood that it was a drive controller issue: Startup problem - YouTube
In it, you can see that Windows boots fine in AHCI mode with just the SSD plugged in, but that when the backup SATA drive is also connected it doesn't get past the Starting Windows screen.

For the record, this Caviar Black HDD was my previous boot OS, and it also has a Win7 install on it (which I've renamed the base folder of), but it is not booting from that HDD. Also, I have tried the same thing with other "old" SATA HDDs that do not have any previous Windows install on them, and the result is the same thing which is shown in the video.

I do not understand why, and don't know what to do about it. All help is appreciated, thank you!

Hi, and thanks for the reply. I have the latest BIOS version installed, and I changed almost nothing in my BIOS from stock settings. I basically just set up the boot order, and switched AHCI to IDE when Windows refused to boot in AHCI with multiple drives connected. I installed the mobo drivers that came on the CD included with the mobo.

DustSailor said:

So the BIOS install was successful? It is usually best to have the most recent mobo drivers installed (manufacturer's website) but I don't think that is the problem here.

You have only 4* internal SATA ports right, and those are 2.0, not 3.0?


EDIT** I just looked it up, and yes, you have all 2.0, not 3.0.

let me research some more

Yes, the BIOS is updated and running well. I installed all my mobo drivers, though I can check for newer versions.

And you might have checked up a different mobo or an earlier version, but my mobo is an Asus P8P67 Pro Rev 3.1, and it has four SATA3 ports and four SATA2 ports. My SSD is plugged into an Intel SATA3 port, while my 3 SATA HDDs are plugged into SATA2 ports.

DustSailor said:

you said you cannot boot into windows at all if you connect another drive, right?

In AHCI mode I cannot, but in IDE mode I can.


I just bought a new Caviar Green 2 TB drive for storage, and I'm going to remove 2 of the storage drives I currently have in the PC. I'll see if Windows boots with just the SSD and the Caviar Green drive installed. In the end, though, I'll have the SSD as boot drive, a Caviar Black as app/game drive, and the Caviar Green as storage/backup, so those 3 in combo will need to run on whatever setting, hopefully AHCI. As it is now, I know that the SSD will boot Windows in AHCI if only it's installed, but that when the Caviar Black is also installed, and the BIOS is set to AHCI, it will hang on the Starting Windows screen.

Oh, sorry about the profile specs, I've updated them now. Yes, I've checked the registry and the key value is set to 0 for AHCI mode. I just got a Caviar Green 2TB drive, so I'll see if it boots into Win7 with just the SSD and the CG installed. My "older" drives range from 3 - 5 years old, with the Caviar Black being around maybe 3 years. I can't recall if I bought it when I built my last PC (3 years ago), or if I bought it later. It's possibly newer than that, maybe 1.5 - 2 years old.